The Grim Future of Civilization: A Cynical Perspective

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the future of civilization, particularly in light of technological advancements and current political and environmental challenges. Participants express varying degrees of pessimism about the survival and evolution of civilization by the year 2100, touching on themes of ecological degradation and historical change.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a belief that civilization will not survive to 2100, citing technological and political factors as contributing to this outlook.
  • Another participant mentions significant ecological losses, claiming that 80% of large fish, virgin forests, and large land animals have disappeared in the last century, suggesting a dire environmental trajectory.
  • A different perspective is offered by a participant reflecting on their grandfather's experience, indicating that while civilization can change drastically, it does not necessarily lead to fear or hopelessness, and emphasizes adapting to change.
  • A humorous post references a team of cockroaches, implying a cynical acceptance of potential future scenarios without further elaboration on the implications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express a sense of concern about the future of civilization, but there is disagreement on the extent of pessimism and the implications of change. Some view the future as bleak, while others suggest a more adaptable perspective.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of detailed evidence supporting claims about ecological decline and the subjective nature of personal experiences with historical change. The discussion does not resolve the broader implications of these viewpoints.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in discussions about the future of civilization, environmental issues, and philosophical perspectives on change may find this thread relevant.

ehrenfest
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Considering the current rate of technology advancement and the political situation around the world, I think that there is no way our civilization will make it to the year 2100. I have thought about this a lot and I just cannot imagine a scenario in which civilization is not totally destroyed before then. And if civilization is not totally destroyed, I think it would be so insanely different than it is now that it would scare us out of our minds if we saw it.

Sorry for being so cynical. I have not been watching sci-fi films or anything, I have just been thinking about things I have learned.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
its going to be tough---

I either read or heard that about 80% of the large fish in the ocean compared to 100 years ago are gone, 80% of the virgin forests, and 80% of the large land animals---all gone just in the last hundred years---
 
ehrenfest said:
And if civilization is not totally destroyed, I think it would be so insanely different than it is now that it would scare us out of our minds if we saw it.
My mother's father was born in 1895 in the Polish shtetl and died at the age of 96 in suburban America. The civilization he left behind in Poland was totally destroyed. The new one he left behind when he died was insanely different. But he was not scared out of his mind. I won't make it to 2100 in any case, but I take each day one at a time and I change with the times. Anyway, don't be so gloomy, hopelessness is a self-fulfilling prediction.
 
whatever... discuss amongst yourselves; I'm joining this guy's team:

http://www.tacexterminators.com/oriental_cockroach_picture.jpeg

they know how it's done.
 
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